Spice And Wolf: A Different Deal

[Gigatronthepwn]

Once upon a time, there lived Lawrence Craft, a traveling merchant. One night, as he passed through a small town, Lawrence found a most peculiar creature in the back of his cart; a young girl with the ears and the tail of a wolf sleeping nestled among his wares. She identified herself as Holo the Wise Wolf, a pagan goddess of the harvest. At the time, most of the land was converting to Christianity, so Holo's worshippers abandoned her in favor of the church. This left her no reason to remain with the town's people. And so, she made a deal with Lawrence: if he agreed to escort her back to her distant homeland, she would use her wisdom to help his business as long as she was with him. He agreed to this, and they set off together.

The rest, as they say, is history.

But what if it wasn't Lawrence Craft that Holo met that fateful night? What if it were someone else entirely who agreed to accompany her? And if it weren't just the two of them, but a fellowship, several people who have all had their lives intertwined with the journey of the Wise Wolf? What then?

That is what we're about to find out.

RULES:
- The standard forum stuff: play nice, no bullying, no god-modding, et cetera.
- Our fellowship should only consist of about four people plus Holo and myself, or else things will get cluttered and confusing. So there's a six player limit on this one, with one character per player. We can start with all six of us, or just one or two with Holo and the others join in as we go along, whichever works.
- We need someone to play as Holo, someone with a decent grasp of her personality. I'd do it myself, but I've already got a character I want to play with in mind and I want to give other people a chance to join in.
- Please no explicit violence, language, sexual content, or cutesy romance. Moderate violence, light profanity, and tame romance are all fine, just don't go overboard with them.
- Please be literate. dont spll leik thiz. Spell check is your friend.
- Post consistently. I hate it when someone joins but never posts, or only posts a few times and then disappears. Don't do that. If you're not going to actively participate, don't bother joining. If you have to quit the RP, then tell us ahead of time.

FILL-OUT:
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Occupation:
Skills:
Appearance: (Picture or description, either works)
Bio: (A paragraph or two going over their personality and back story)

CAST:
Holo - wolfangel26
Jericho Amialt - Me
Eldon Herrick - Optimus Prime
(Blank)
(Blank)
(Blank)

So who wants in? Come on, people. All hail to the tail.

[wolfangel26]

Might I request playing Holo?! I absolutely LOVE Spice and Wolf :) I would happy to create a profile and everything!

[Gigatronthepwn]

Finally!

Please, by all means be Holo. Thanks for joining! Hopefully someone else will in the relatively near future.

I'll post my profile in a little while.

[wolfangel26]

FILL-OUT:
Name: Holo the Wise
Age: Several Centuries if not older, but appears like a young women no older than twenty or so.
Gender: Female
Occupation: Wolf Diety
Skills: Very cunning and shrewd. Her intellect is only surpassed by her charming demeanor.
She has the ability to transform into her original form, that of a giant wolf.
At times she can produce an ear-shattering howl.
Appearance: (Picture or description, either works)

Bio: (A paragraph or two going over their personality and back story)
Holo is a wolf harvest deity originally from a place in the north known as Yoitsu. She made a promise with men from a town called Pasloe that she would ensure the town would have good wheat harvests year after year. However, as time went on, the townspeople slowly started to forsake Holo and did not rely on her as they once did. Holo has chosen the form of a young girl, though she still retains her large white-tipped wolf tail, and ears. Her true form is that of a very large wolf which many people revered and feared.

She refers to herself as the "Wise Wolf of Yoitsu" (ヨイツの賢狼, Yoitsu no Kenrō?). She is typically very haughty and self-sufficient, though due to her isolation for hundreds of years in Pasloe, she gradually feels very lonely, and sometimes shows a more fragile side of herself. She relies on others for company as she fears loneliness, Holo is also very aware of the different time spans that she and humans have, as a human lifespan is like a blink of an eye for her kind. Holo is quite scared of that fact, but hides it with jokes. She has a peculiar way of speaking, modeled after that of the oiran high-class courtesans.[10] She is fond of delicious food and alcohol, but especially loves apples. She takes pride in her tail and takes special care of it, constantly combing and maintaining it.

[Gigatronthepwn]

Awesome. Thanks again. Here's mine:

Name: Jericho Amialt
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Occupation: Alchemist
Skills: Excellent Chemist and Showman
Appearance: A small, petite man with well-groomed short ash blond hair and pale brown eyes with a pair of small red-armed eyeglasses. He wears a lavish green shirt with a knitted brown vest over it, and a medieval equivalent of sorrel cargo pants. Also wears heavy leather boots and a black woolen cloak while traveling.

Bio: Jericho is a purveyor of a fairly new field called chemistry. He began learning about it and perfecting his understanding of and technique with it from an early age, as his father was also an early chemist. In this age, few people have even heard the word "chemistry", and obviously have no idea how any of it works. Jericho, clever as he is, knows this and exploits it to make a living. He wanders the countryside performing seemingly supernatural acts using the chemicals and knowledge at his disposal to please the masses. He sells himself as an "Alchemist", and the awed peasants shower him with gold at every show. However, the Church has taken note of this, and has sent agents after him to put an end to his "heathen practices". Because of this, Jericho operates in secret, never staying in one place for very long. However, this lifestyle leaves little room for a social life; despite his wits and charisma, he can rarely form a bond with anyone and he hides his loneliness deep within.

[wolfangel26]

Awesome! Hopefully we can get more people! I'm really excited about this!!!

[Gigatronthepwn]

If we can't, then the two of us will start and more people can join as we go along. It'll be kind of like our own little remake of the anime, with two characters and then our party grows as the story progresses. But let's give it another little while before we do that.

[wolfangel26]

Sounds like a plan! Can't wait :)

[Gigatronthepwn]

It doesn't look like anyone else plans to join any time soon, and I'm getting a little tired of waiting. So do you just want to start now? It looks like we ought to get on it soon before it fizzles out.

[OptimusPrime]

Name: Eldon Herrick
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Occupation: Wandering Mercenary
Skills: Weapons Master and Clever
Appearance:

Bio:
Eldon has lived most of his life, since he was ten years old, as a mercenary for hire. He takes advantage of his young age and takes pleasure in the fact that people are astonished that one so young as him is a rogue mercenary. Eldon keeps quiet about his past, and as such it is shrouded in mystery. What he does reveal about himself is that he lost his parents at an early age and had to live on the streets. However, he could barely stand living on the streets and so, after stealing a small dagger, hired himself off as a mercenary. On his first job, Eldon found that he had a natural talent with weapons. Now, nine years after he began his new life, Eldon is cold and calculating, and willing to do whatever is necessary to get the job done. However, he hides a secret inner self, who is soft and loving. He often spends nights weeping and mourning for those that he has to kill simply so he can live.

[Gigatronthepwn]

Oh. Okay then, thanks! I guess we'll give it a little while longer, then, unless you two want to get going before we drag the waiting game out too long.

[wolfangel26]

I'm ready to start whenever you are! Sorry for not posting sooner, but I was unable to access the internet!

[Gigatronthepwn]

I'll start us off tomorrow afternoon. I'd start us tonight, but I'm kind of swamped with chores and homework, so it just wouldn't be practical. Tomorrow, though, that's a promise.

[Gigatronthepwn]

(Okay, here we are. Sorry it took me so long. Now let's go. More people can join as we go along; we've got three people, that good enough to get the ball rolling.)

Pasloe. It was small, it was quaint, and it was ripe. They were awed by the emerald flame and the dancing smoke that seemed to follow his bidding. It was a perfect place to stop. He could put on a few shows, replenish and bolster his funds, and hide out and relax for a while. It would take the church a few days to find him in an obscure place like this.

Jericho reclined in the fields of wheat, lying on his back among the stalks. He had hardly gotten any time alone there- he'd gotten so accustomed to being on his lonesome that he needed some quiet time every now and then. Everyone wanted some time with the Alchemist, to try and coerce him to reveal his secrets- but his secrets were his life.

The sun was setting now, casting an orange glow over the horizon and setting the sky ablaze. A cool, gentle wind blew through the fields, caressing Jericho's face and playing with his hair. He closed his eyes, removed his glasses, and just laid there. Fond of this place already, he forced the knowledge that he'd eventually have to leave out of his mind, and, for the first time in a long time, simply relaxed.

[wolfangel26]

((Sorry for not responding sooner. My classes just started AND I have work on TOP of that! But I'm still as dedicated as ever.))

The setting sun dimmed in the distance over Pasloe, like it did every day. It was Autumn, now, and the time for Harvest was coming to an end. The Harvest Festival was soon to pass, as it did every passing year. Holo the Wise Wolf was growing tired of the dreary, predictable lifestyle she had become accustomed to in this sleepy, meager village. Regardless, it was also a second home for her. Following her many years spent in Yoitsu, Pasloe itself was the only home she truly came to know. But even as the years passed on and the Church became more overbearing, she knew her time spent here was coming to an end.

What chance it was that she happened upon the random outsider who rested his weary soul on the very wheat that gave her life. Holo knew much better than to appear to the stranger in her true form. Instead, she chose the very form she had not taken since she first arrived in Pasloe.....that of a human.

Her light brown hair blew in the light autumn breeze, sending a cool chill through her spine. In this form, she appeared more or less as a human. But what stood out were her pointed canine ears and glossy, white-tipped tail, each the same hue as her hair. Both her tail and ears were tipped with white hair, yet both possessed the same texture- silky soft. She prided herself on the condition of her tail, and even received praise for it on numerous occasions.

Standing before the stranger, her human form completely nude due to the fact she had just transformed, she cocked her head. A small smile formed in her lips, revealing the canine fangs she concealed. Perhaps this human was the key to her freedom. Only time would tell.

[Gigatronthepwn]

In all his time spent fleeing and hiding, Jericho had developed a sort of sixth sense, to pick up on a nearby presence, as if he could detect the aura of others in the air. Right now, Jericho felt a presence very nearby- practically right over him. He opened his eyes, body tensing to move at a moment's notice. A girl stood over him- a pretty girl, wearing no clothes, which came as an odd but pleasant surprise. Still, any girl who randomly approached you in the nude without any apparent reason to was probably trouble.

That was the last thought that went through Jericho's head before he noticed the ears, before he noticed the tail and the fangs. A chill ran up his spine. The hairs on the back of his neck jolted upright. He simply stared at her, still and wide-eyed, for several moments. He thought for a moment that the animal appendages were not real, that they were simply parts taken from a dead dog or fox now being worn by some crazed pagan cultist. Then he saw the ears twitch. He saw the tail swaying back and forth clearly by its own volition. He blinked. He tried to piece this together; how was this possible?

He jumped to his feet and backed away. He carried no weapons; as he detested violence and quietly slipping away had yet to fail him; if this creature came at him, all he had to defend himself with was his bare hands. However, he doubted that she would. He looked into her eyes, and he saw intelligence, sentience; she was looking over him just as she was her, analyzing, observing. Perhaps this being was rational or reasonable?

Quietly, almost a whisper- it was all he could do to keep his voice calm- he asked, "What are you?"

[wolfangel26]

This human's reaction to her arrival was amusing, if anything. Holo was surprised he was so alert. Normally, most of the human race were completely oblivious. This one was not like the others though. Something in her mind told her this man unique. Perhaps that was why she was drawn to him.

Quietly, almost a whisper- it was all he could do to keep his voice calm- he asked, "What are you?"

She cocked her head to the side, her wolf ears twitched slightly. She gave a soft, yet coy smile, "I am Holo, the Wise Wolf of Yoitsu!"

Taking a step forward, her tail swaying softly in anticipation, she sniffed the air. His scent reminded her of spices, no doubt of the human world. How long had it been that she had ventured into the towns and villages of human in this form? Too long, to be sure. Her time for the past many years had been spent in this little village of Pasloe, looking after the wheat for the humans. Perhaps the opportunity for change had indeed presented itself.

Her smile widened, revealing her sharpened canine fangs, "I don't suppose you would have any alcohol on you, per chance?"

[Gigatronthepwn]

Jericho swallowed subtly, resisting the urge to take a step back when she approached him. She was speaking, clearly and coherently- obviously she was not a crazed cultist or mindless beast in human form. "I don't, actually," he replied to her request for alcohol. "I am Jericho Amialt, by the way, if it interests you to know."

Holo, the Wise Wolf- he'd heard that name and title before. But where? He thought for a moment- and managed to recall that he'd read about this entity before in a book about pagan deities. She was obscure, one of the lesser of the vast pantheon, but she was a being of higher power nonetheless.

This girl before him was a deity?

But that couldn't be possible.

"I believe I've heard of you before," he began. "However, that source referred to you as some sort of god or divine being, and... Well, I've never been a man of any sort of faith, Christian or pagan. I don't think I really believe what's happening right now. Are you really...?" He caught himself. "I'm sorry, this must seem terribly disrespectful, but you see, being a man of science this is rather difficult for me to comprehend." He tried to look calm and unfazed, but was probably failing, and hoped he had not offended her; if she truly was some sort of god, then it was probably advisable to stay on her good side.

[wolfangel26]

((My sincerest apologies for not posting sooner!!!))


Jericho swallowed subtly, resisting the urge to take a step back when she approached him. She was speaking, clearly and coherently- obviously she was not a crazed cultist or mindless beast in human form. "I don't, actually," he replied to her request for alcohol. "I am Jericho Amialt, by the way, if it interests you to know."

"Jericho Amialt, eh?" she let the name roll of her tongue softly, her tail swishing back and forth. "Humans have the most peculiar names these days. A pity you have no alcohol, but I suppose it shan't be hard to find."

Stepping closer, she took in Jericho's scent more carefully. His line of work was presumably that which required him to live a nomadic life..but his wagon was enough to show her that. She had been watching him carefully lately, assuming he was her best option for her particular goal.

"I believe I've heard of you before," he began. "However, that source referred to you as some sort of god or divine being, and... Well, I've never been a man of any sort of faith, Christian or pagan. I don't think I really believe what's happening right now. Are you really...?" He caught himself. "I'm sorry, this must seem terribly disrespectful, but you see, being a man of science this is rather difficult for me to comprehend." He tried to look calm and unfazed, but was probably failing, and hoped he had not offended her; if she truly was some sort of god, then it was probably advisable to stay on her good side.

Holo listened, her ears twitched in amusement before she chuckled, "Am I really....? What? I am Holo the Wise, nothing more, nothing less. I suppose my reputation does precede me...Humans have called me a god. They have called me many things...but I am what I am. And that which I am, you see before you."

Standing closer now, she stared at him carefully. Suddenly a slight breeze passed through the hair, the wind blowing through her tail and hair. Shivering to herself, she practically heard her teeth chatter.

"I forgot how chilly this form was," she said. Following a sudden sneeze, she moaned, "How you humans can stand to be so exposed is beyond my understanding!"

[Gigatronthepwn]

That answered Jericho's question as well as anything, he supposed. This evening was looking to be full of pleasant surprises. He managed a sincere smile at her following statement- it was getting rather cool out now, he realized. "Would you like my jacket?" he offered, "It would help keep you warm. My caravan is near here- I do have some wine there, if you're still interested. You seem to have well earned the title 'Wise Wolf'- I'd very much like to continue this conversation someplace where we're less likely to be seen."

He felt a need to clarify, on his own part. "You see, there are a lot of people in this town alone who could be looking for me right now. Some of them for innocent reasons, which, frankly, I'd rather not be bothered with, and some for other reasons." He figured she could read in between the lines. He made it a point to keep his eyes focused on her only from the neck up.